Defense in Dallas corruption trial calls head of local Urban League to the witness stand

Meacham: You know that Brian Potashnik has pleaded guilty to bribing Hill and Lee? Yes. The League got two $25,000 checks from Potashnik to provide social services? Yes. Did you buy a car with that money, or pay back rent? Oh, no, she said. Did you deposit them immediately? No. Why’d you hang onto them? Because we hadn’t finished with the work yet.

Meacham: Did Brian Potashnik make good on his promises to pay the Urban League in subsequent years? We’re getting our clocks cleaned on this contract, she said. After the first $50,000, we kept providing the services in 06, but never paid for that year’s work, Brooks testified. She said they were paid some money in 07 and 08, but got no money for their work so far this year. In all, Brooks said that the Urban League had spent $200,000 providing services and had been paid $125,000. We’re still providing services because we made a commitment, she said.

Is it rare for developers such as Brian Potashnik to enter into contracts and pay your group with very little prior relationship? Yes, Brooks said.

And Lee is the one who promised to introduce you to Southwest Housing? Yes. How quickly did he introduce you after you first met him? Quickly.

The judge has ended court for the day.UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: Victor Vital, attorney for Sheila Farrington Hill, asked Beverly Mitchell Brooks why she never signed a formal contract with Lee for his consulting services.

Brooks said Lee, in a contract for himself in the name of Farrington and Associates, was asking for $60,000 plus 10 percent of the project costs. The League didn’t have that kind of money, she said, which is why she rejected his proposal and agreed, informally, to pay him less later on.

Brooks said she didn’t know who Farrington and Associates was, and never signed a contract with them. She said she only met Ms. Farrington later, after she was married to Don Hill.

Did Lee do anything wrong with respect to your group? Brooks said not that she knew of. Did your group do anything wrong? No, she said.

Did Mr. Lee ever ask you to do anything improper? Vital asked. Not that I can remember, Brooks said.

ORIGINAL POST: Beverly Mitchell Brooks, chief executive of the Urban League of Greater Dallas, has taken the stand in the city hall corruption trial.

The Urban League is a civil rights organization that also operates a community housing development organization. It has come up in this trial because it was under contract with Brian Potashnik of Southwest Housing to provide social services on the affordable housing projects at issue in this case.

That contract was the first time that the League had used it’s CHDO, and Brooks testified that it needed to partner with someone else in order to perform the tasks for Southwest Housing.

Brooks said that at one point D’Angelo Lee approached her and told her that he had expertise in housing, he knew Don Hill, and he could help them develop a housing plan. “Mr. Hill indicated that [Lee] was good people and that he would do a great job for us,” Brooks testified. She said that Lee introduced her to people at Southwest Housing, and they agreed to use the group to provide social services.

Southwest Housing gave the League $50,000, and Potashnik seemed genuinely interested in the League’s work, Brooks testified.

Victor Vital, attorney for Sheila Farrington Hill, asked Brooks if people at Southwest Housing, including Potashnik, seemed like they were under pressure to work with the League. Couldn’t say, Brooks said.

Brooks testified that the League paid Lee about $8,000 over a number of months for his consulting work for them. “Not knowing what all this housing was about, we thought he was doing the work,” Brooks said. Lee told them to send his checks to Farrington and Associates.

Vital asked her if she knew who Farrington and Associates was? No, Brooks replied.

The jurors are now on their mid afternoon break.

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